Report To The Community 2022

school days rock
“The interaction
between the
[Recycled
Percussion] artists
and the kids was
amazing. We had
1,500 students
that day, and we
know that when
they went home,
they said, ‘I had
the greatest day
today at NJPAC!’”
– Craig Pearce
How do you inspire children
through the arts? First get
them into a theater — and
then, make some noise!
Recycled Percussion — a
performance in which common
objects, from blenders to steel
ladders, were turned into
percussive instruments — was
one of six SchoolTime shows held
live at the Victoria Theater this
year. This December show was
a huge success by many metrics,
SchoolTime audiences were
mesmerized by the musicians
of Recycled Percussion
who played on common
objects ranging from
blenders to steel ladders.
reaching school children
in multiple ways, from mainstage
shows to in-classroom programs
especially that of the children’s
excitement and response to
the artists on the stage.
“I was so proud of that one,
because the interaction
between the artists and the
kids was amazing,” says
Craig Pearce, Producer of
Festivals and Performances.
“We had 1,500 kids and they
were so excited. The whole
theater was just screaming
the whole time. We know
that when they walked out of
that theater and went home
that day they said, ‘I had the
greatest day today at NJPAC.’”
In a typical year, more than
21,000 children from pre-K
through grade 12 attend
SchoolTime performances. Every
performance is scaffolded with
teacher’s resources which may
include activity sheets, pre- and
post-show videos and an NJPAC
original podcast called On the
Mic. Some are condensed versions
of mainstage productions such
as Recycled Percussion and the
Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company’s
Lunar New Year celebration,
while others are produced
especially for young audiences,
such as Romeo & Juliet and
Soul on Soul: A Musical Tribute
Honoring Mary Lou Williams.
Not all school programs NJPAC
delivers are as loud as power
tools, of course — and not all
are held on the Arts Center’s
campus. Some programs
were virtual, like the special
SchoolTime presentation of
Echoes of the Lion, all about the
colorful life and work of Newark
jazz great Willie “The Lion” Smith,
which was distributed online.
Additionally, during 2022,
NJPAC trained and placed
teaching artists in more than
60 schools through residencies
and after-school programming.
“Our teaching artists are really
important for bringing the arts
to every student, no matter
where they are,” says Ashley
Mandaglio, Associate Director,
Professional Learning and
Program Development. The
residencies make participation
in the arts accessible and
bring value to student learning.
Curriculum options include
hip hop, acting, musical
theater and storytelling
through dance or drama. •
backing
artists-to-be
Over his five years in NJPAC’s
TD Jazz for Teens program,
high school senior Clay Hudson
has performed a lot — from
semester-ending “Student
Shares” to virtual programs
and regular gigs on and off
the Arts Center’s campus.
But his favorite performance?
That was at the Prudential
Center in February. That night
he was part of an ensemble,
hired through NJPAC’s booking
service for students and
alumni, Brick City Bookings,
to play at a Jazz for Prostate
Cancer Awareness event.
Young drummer
Clay Hudson spent
five years honing his
professional skills in
NJPAC’s TD Jazz for
Teens program.
The Colton Institute for Training
and Research in the Arts cultivates
creative pathways for young artists
It wasn’t the venue that made
the performance special,
though. It was how he felt.
“I was in the right headspace,”
he says. “I connected with
all the other musicians.”
Diligent instruction from
Arts Education faculty and
Hudson’s hard work have
given him the confidence to
choose the groove, speed
and keys of his improv sets.
Hudson’s training, and that of
hundreds of students, is made
possible through the Colton
Institute for Training and
Research in the Arts, which was
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